Tears for the Reaper
by BlueShift5
Summary: Does Grim shed tears for the souls he reaps? Grim X OTP
1. Chapter 1

**I do not own any of the characters from the Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy.**

**A/N: Does Grim ever cry for the souls he takes? Grim x OTP. Mandy's older, a little more romance savvy, with just a hint of yuri thrown in for flavor! (Grim's POV for this chapter!)**

**Tears for the Reaper**

**Chapter 1: The Gift**

**Prologue:**

The Grim Reaper has been around for as long as there have been human beings on Earth. He has, on occasion, been revered, worshipped and respected. Most of the time, however, he has been shunned and feared. He has earned the enmity of all who are mortal, and even some who are immortal.

Many gods and goddesses have enjoyed the pleasures of love with mortals, but Grim, by his very nature, knew nothing of that. His job required only that he reap souls as directed by his little black book of Fate. Unfortunately, he ran afoul of one particular goddess, by taking her newly acquired, human lover.

**The Gift**

_**"Hideous wretch!"**_ the Goddess screamed, **"How **_**dare**_** you steal my love away from me?!"**

"I'm jes' doin' me job." he tried to explain, but the angry Goddess would hear none of that, slowly circling around him.

"You are a creature without a heart, therefore you cannot possibly comprehend what it is to have love for another. I cannot destroy you, as your spirit is as immortal as my own, so instead, I will grant you . . . a _'gift!'_ Every hundred years, you will have flesh on your bones. Fair of face and form you shall be, and you will know love at last, as no human woman will be able to resist you. Many lovers you shall have for one month in every hundred years. You shall remember them _all_, . . . the taste of their lips, . . . the smell of their hair, . . . and the softness of their skin. And, at the end of that month, you shall harvest _each_ and _every_ one of them. You will not soon forget, the ache in your heart, though you return to being the _heartless_ monster that you are!" She smiled wickedly before vanishing, leaving a sinister laugh echoing through his skull.

That was five thousand years ago. Before that, Grim had no emotions. He loved no one, he hated no one. All emotions were foreign to him. He was indifferent, back then, whether people worshipped him, . . . or feared him. That all changed because of the Goddess' "gift." A curse it was, really. It came upon him stronger and stronger, as the hundred year cycle approached. He looked at his palms. The tips of his fingers were beginning to grow flesh. Grim put his hands to his face, and began to weep, as he remembered the first of his many lovers, . . . and the look in her eyes, when he came to take her soul.

**Tears of the Reaper**

"What's the matter with you, Bonehead? Why so glum?" Mandy asked, as she sat down next to me on Billy's front step. I jes' sighed.

"I'm tinkin' of goin' away on a trip for a month. I'm sure you and Billy can manage without me for dat long." She frowned.

"And you're doing this because . . .?"

"Because I need to get away . . . from you! Especially you!" I was fightin' to keep me tears from being noticed. Mandy was shocked, but recovered quickly.

_**"What is your problem?!"**_ she shouted, "I haven't done anything mean to you in a long time!"

It was true. As she got older, she became less and less demandin' of me. Maybe it was because of a string of failed relationships she had recently. She always came to me when she broke up with someone.

"Fine then! Leave! See if I give a hoot!" She stood up and stormed back to her house.

I couldn't have been any less blunt, but I felt terrible, like I had betrayed her trust, a trust dat was nurtured over de past several years. I couldn't just flush all dat down de toilet, so I followed her home to apologize.

I'd been givin' her advice on her relationship problems. Not dat she took any of it seriously, but I was always right, judging from the number of breakups she's had. Guess she never could understand how a guy like me knew so much about love.

I went upstairs and knocked on her bedroom door.

"Yes?" she answered from inside.

"Mandy?"

_**"Get lost!"**_ she hollered.

"Mandy, I'm not leavin' until ya let me explain." I stood outside the door, tryin' to get me courage up.

"Oh, I think you made yourself pretty clear!" she huffed.

"Will you _please_ come out? I need ta show ya somethin'." I persisted.

"If I do, will you go away?!"

"Yes, I promise." She unlocked her door and glared at me.

"Well?" she said coldly. She had been cryin'. I held up a gloved hand. "_Is that __it__?!_ So, you're trying to make a _fashion_ statement?!"

I removed the glove to reveal a fully fleshed out hand. She gasped, as the anger disappeared from her face.

"What's happening to you, Grim?"

"Dis is why I need ta leave for a month."

"Why?"

"It's a curse put on me five thousand years ago by Astarte, for reapin' her human lover. Every one hundred years, I become flesh and blood, so dat I may fall in love."

"That doesn't sound like much of a curse . . . well, yeah, maybe it is."

"I must remain like dis for a month, in which time no human female will be able to resist me. I cannot refuse. I am compelled to choose, and fall in love."

"So, what's your point?"

"I will forget dat I am de Grim Reaper, but at de end of de month, I will regain my memories . . . and harvest de souls of all de women dat had fallen in love wit me."

"That does put a damper on all your relationships," she sighed, "but what does that have to do with me?"

"I won't lie to you, Mandy, because dis is much too serious to brush off. Over de years, I've developed a . . . 'fondness'. . . for you, and I can't take de chance of havin' you fall in love wit me." I stood dere silently, not quite knowin' what ta say next. "If you feel uncomfortable wit dat knowledge, den you can send me away when dis is all over. I jes' don't want to be de one to hurt ya." She smiled.

"Didn't realize you felt that way about me, Grim. What happens if I _don't_ fall in love with you?"

"Ya don't understand! Once I'm fully fleshed out, you will not be able to resist me if you are the one I have chosen, and I won't remember who you are until I'm ready to _cut you down_!"

I'm practically screamin' as my tears run down me cheeks. Mandy tilted her head and watched me, curiously.

"I've seen you cry before, but it never occurred to me until now, how you could since you have no eyes."

"It's part of de curse, actually," I sniffled as I brought my sleeve up to me cheeks, ". . . _my_ tears burn."

**End Chapter 1**

**A/N: I know its a short chapter. I'm just experimenting again, as I'm apt to do. I've checked the archives for Eris stories, but while she appears in a number of them, she doesn't have one of her own. I dedicate this one to the twitchy blonde Goddess! It was going to be about Grim, but since he needed to go into hiding and wouldn't remember anyone, he was out of the question.**


	2. Chapter 2: The Immortals

**I do not own any of the characters from The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy!**

**A/N: Still Grim's POV for the time being. The next chapter returns to normal.**

**Tears for the Reaper**

**Chapter 2: The Immortals**

**Astarte**

Mandy raised an eyebrow, "They . . . _burn_?"

"It's not so bad, really, I've gotten used to it after de first thousand years or so. They're not meant ta burn anyone else, jes' me."

"Five thousand years is an awfully long time to carry a grudge," Mandy said, "have you ever tried to find her and apologize?"

"Astarte was 'old school.' Back den, dey did whatever dey wanted. Dey changed shapes, changed genders . . . changed addresses. I tried lookin' in de directories, but couldn't find her. It's possible she's not even on de planet."

"Lemme go talk to Eris. Maybe she might have an idea."

Mandy had struck up a friendship wit the Goddess of Chaos and Discord, and often visited the little troublemaker. Eris had a twisted sense of humor when it came to dealin' with troublesome ex's, and she and Mandy loved to trade stories about their "retributions." The Goddess was pleased to find an appreciative fan of her work. Maybe she was lookin' for an apprentice. I shuddered at de thought.

"How much longer before you become totally human, Grim?"

"Well, my hands and arms are already complete up to me shoulders." I lifted up me robe to take a look at my legs. "My legs seem to be complete up to de waist," Mandy's eyes popped open. ". . . is dere somethin' wrong?"

"Urk!" She turned away blushing, "Maybe you should get some shoes . . . and some shorts!"

_ What was dat all about?_ I lowered my robe back down. "I would say I had two more days for de body, and another day for my head. Once me face is done, I will be whole. I'll need to be long gone before dat happens, because my face will come on wit very little warnin'. Den I'll lose my memory of everyone I know, and you'll all become strangers to me."

"Then we should figure out what to call you. Did you have some kind of name?"

"It varied, dependin' on de country I was in at de time."

"What was your last name?"

"Franz."

"Sounds familiar. Too familiar. Let's try for something a little less foreign."

"How 'bout Fred?"

"Nooope."

"Phil?

"Ehh! That's my _dad's_ name, dummy!"

"Nick?"

_"Definitely not!"_

"Why not?"

"Old boyfriend . . ."

"Matt?"

"Hmmm. Okay, that'll work!"

"And why's dat?"

"Because it starts with an 'M', like 'Mandy'!"

**Eris**

Eris' current favorite hangout was near the Endsville Park lake, the site of numerous lake monster sightings recently, no doubt caused by her.

She spotted Mandy right away. "_Heeey_, girlfriend!" Den she saw me. "Oh . . . Hello Bonehead." Eris squinted her eyes, den stroked her chin. "Hmm! Is it just me, or did you put on some weight, Grim?"

I lifted up me robe to show her what was happenin', and she shrieked. Mandy just shook her head and covered her eyes, grinnin'. _What's wit dese girls, anyway?_

_ "__**Don't**__**do**__** that!**__"_ Eris screamed.

"Do _what_?" I hadn't the foggiest notion of what she was upset about.

"You just _flashed_ me, you perv!"

"Oh, dat. I can't help meself, mon, it's not like I have skin all de time, ya know!" She laughed.

"I must say, though, Grim, you make 'Hoss' look like a little 'pony'! Don't let it get to your head, though, 'cause he was only a chihuahua to begin with, hah!" She slapped her knee and the two girls fell to the grass, laughin'.

"Look, can we get serious here? I came to you to see if you could help!"

"Oh, I'm sorry Grim, but that _was_ pretty funny! *snort!* Now then, what seems to be the problem?"

"Grim's under a curse put on him by a goddess named Astarte." Mandy explained.

"Astarte, you say?" Eris grimaced a bit, stickin' out the tip of her tongue from between her teeth. "Now there's a name I haven't heard in a _long_ time."

"Do you know her?" I asked.

"Not really. She's, like, my mother's age! I think they went to school together. Mumsy hated her guts. Called her a skank. Voted 'Most Likely To Be Pregnant Before Graduation'!" the Goddess chuckled.

"Really?"

"Nah, I'm just kidding! Maybe if I call Mother, she might know something!"

**Nyx**

Eris snapped her fingers and a golden hand mirror appeared in mid-air. She held it in her hand while pickin' at her teeth wit her nails.

"There! That's bettuh!" she said, "Sorry, but I had a salad for lunch, and I felt a bit of lettuce and croutons in there somewhere!" Snapping her fingers once more, a glass of water appeared, with which she used to gargle and swish around in her mouth. She spat the liquid into the lake through the gap in her teeth, den turned her attention back to the mirror, and spoke into it.

"Mumsy, please!" There was a ringtone.

_"Hello?"_ a perfectly melodic voice answered.

"Hello Mumsy! It's your _darling_ little daughter!"

_"Which one?"_

"It's _me_, Mother!" Eris said, sounding a bit annoyed as she brought de mirror closer to her face.

_"Oh! 'Troubles'! Hello Eris!"_

"Hmph! So glad we got _that_ out of the way. Listen Mumsy, a friend of mine needs help in finding an old classmate of yours."

_"And who might that be, my darling?"_

"Um . . . Astarte?" Eris held the mirror at arms length as her mother, Nyx, unleashed a barrage of expletives.

"Calm down, Mother! We're kind of in a hurry here!"

_"What's that little tramp done now?"_ she replied coldly.

"She put a curse on old Grimmy and we'd like to get her to remove it!"

_"Ha ha ha! Good luck with __that__ turkey!"_ Nyx said sarcastically.

"Mother! Do you know where she is or not?"

_"To tell you the truth, I haven't heard anything about her for . . . what? . . . five __thousand years? If it's that important to you, I'll put out the word to some of our 'mutual' friends, even though I'm quite sure they wouldn't know anymore than I do. What is the nature of this curse, anyway?"_ Nyx asked.

"Here . . . talk to Grim!" Eris handed me her mirror, and I explained to Nyx as best I could, about de circumstances surroundin' de curse, and what happens every hundred years.

_"Uh-huh,"_ she said, _"sounds like something she would do, but I thought you liked killing people?"_

"No, no! Dat's a common misconception! My job is ta _collect_ souls, to round dem up. I don't kill people, I jes' collect their souls! Jody, me sycthe, is merely a symbol of my position as reaper, much like a policeman's badge. I only use her to sever the ties that some clingy souls have to their mortal remains. But what I end up doin' every hundred years is jes' plain _murder_! I've only got a few days left before I need to go into hidin'!" Nyx sighed.

_"Enlarge, please."_ The hand mirror grew ten times in size. _"Astarte hated all immortals, which is probably why she put that curse on you. She's had lovers die on her before, but you must have been in the wrong place at the wrong time." _

"But she's an immortal herself! Why would she hate her own kind?"

Nyx opened her mouth as if she was just about to say somethin', den caught herself. _"If you find her, ask her yourself. I'll do what I can to locate her, but I can't promise you anything. No one's seen her for about two thousand years. She's very powerful, but she can't destroy your immortal spirit. She could have destroyed your __body, though, and I'm at a loss to explain why she didn't."_ Nyx looked towards her daughter. _"You be careful, too, Eris. If she were to find out you're my daughter, I don't know what she'd do to you. If you're going to be looking for her, it might be better for you to change your appearance in some way."_

"A disguise?"

_"Something to mask your goddess powers also, otherwise she'll see right through your __disguise."_

"Shall I put on a moustache and beard?" Eris laughed.

_"Stop being silly. This is serious. She's powerful enough to turn you into a buck-toothed old hag for the rest of your eternal life!"_

"Gross." The blonde goddess stuck out her tongue, and grimaced. "What makes her so powerful anyway?"

_"She has no children."_

"W-What the _heck_ does that have to do with anything?!"

_"When we immortals have children, we give out a little of our power to each child. The more children, the less power for the parents. As far as I know, she has no kids."_

"But didn't you call her a 'skank' once?"

_"Did I? Must have been angry at the time. She might have had many lovers, but no children that I know of. Astarte simply dropped off the edge of the world. If anyone has seen her at all, maybe it would be that sleazebag reporter, Hermes. He really gets around, digging up dirt for that rag of his. Maybe I should go have a talk with him, too."_ she said, then ended the call.

"Ahh!" said the crazy one, "Sounds like just the opportunity to create more trouble and chaos! Are you in, snook-ums?" Mandy blushed.

"Cut it out, will you?" she whined.

"Oh, I see! You don't want me using 'pet' names in front of Grim!" Eris chuckled, "Don't worry, he doesn't suspect a thing!"

"Hello! I'm right here in case ya haven't noticed! What's all dis talk about anyway?"

"It's nothing Grim, just us girls jerking you around!"

I'm beginnin' to get nervous, thinkin' I'm about to put my trust in dese two!

**Meanwhile, on a far off mountain top . . .**

Nyx appeared troubled by the conversation as she walked through the halls of her mountain villa, hands clasped behind her. _Astarte, where are you hiding? What __have you been doing all these years? _she thought as she sat down next to a stone lion. The anger on her face soon faded, and a tear found it's way down her cheek, as she contemplated the dangers that Eris might face if she found Astarte. Eris was a goofball for sure, but Nyx loved her carefree daughter, and always worried about her living so far away from home. She watched as her teardrop fell to the floor. It sounded like a wave crashing into a cliff.

**End Chapter 2**

**A/N: Franz is the name Mandy gave Grim in "Night of the Living Grim". Fred is Fred Fredburger (not Fred Flintstone, who was named Jake Steel in that particular episode, "Modern Primitives"), Phil is her dad's name. Nick is a tribute to one of my favorite stories, written by Juggalomalice. His character is actually named Nik, and is/was Mandy's "love interest" in that story. I spelled it here with a "c" because I didn't ask his permission to use "Nik," and I don't want any conflicts! If you're curious, his story is titled "Hateful Love."**

**I picked the name Astarte, a Mesopotamian goddess, because everyone else uses Olympian immortals, and I thought I'd try something different. Besides, she predates the Olympians. The lion, coincidentally, is one of the symbols of Astarte. In mythology, she actually has a whole lot of children, but for the purpose of my story . . . I claim artistic license! In her own element, she is the Goddess of Love, Beauty, Fertility . . . and War. Nice touch.**


	3. Chapter 3: Eye Witness

**I do not own any of the characters from The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy!**

**A/N: Eris and Mandy are best buds . . . I know, strange isn't it!**

**Tears for the Reaper**

**Chapter 3: Eye Witness**

**Hermes: Ace Investigative Reporter**

Nyx found herself at the entrance to the Eternal Snooper, the number one supermarket gossip rag on Olympus. She was here to see an old acquaintance of her's, someone who made a business out of everyone else's business.

"Hello, Hermes."

"Well, hello yourself, Angel Eyes! What brings you to _my_ sleazy corner of Olympus?"

"I've come looking for information on a certain . . . _someone_." Hermes immediately sat up and leaned forward.

"Oooo! I love it when you talk _'dirt'_ with me! I smell a story brewing! Who are _we_ looking for?"

"Astarte."

"Ahhhh!" Hermes groaned as he slumped back into his chair. "I should have known! You know, she's a loose cannon. I, personally, would not want to be in the same room with her. What did you want to know?"

"My daughter, Eris, is going to try and find her, and I know you were among the last ones to have seen her . . ." Hermes made like he was wiping sweat from his brow.

"Yes! And I was lucky to escape with my skin intact! No one has seen her since, and that was nearly two thousand years ago! She's old news now. I doubt if people would be terribly interested in reading about her, but if your daughter does find Astarte, can I do an interview with her? Provided, of course, that she comes back in one piece!"

"Don't say things like that! I'm worried about her finding Astarte!"

"And well you should be! Astarte wasn't an Olympian, she was cut from a different cloth than us. Her powers are different. She had abilities that none of us had, and that was what made her so dangerous. Even the 'Old Man' was afraid of her! He was afraid of you, too, but you, he could deal with!"

"Just where, exactly, did you last see her?" Hermes smiled and kicked his feet up on his desk. He clasped his hands behind his head, and began to reminisce.

"A bunch of us boys were in a tavern in Herculaneum having a few drinks. We weren't even looking for her, just relaxing and exchanging stories. One of the guys spotted her in the company of some mortals, but wasn't sure if it was her or not. He went over to get a closer look. She threw a hood over her head and bolted out of the door. That was all the persuasion we needed, and we gave chase. We followed her up the slopes of Mount Somma, thinking we had finally caught up with the runaway. It was just a ruse to get us all in one place, for once we were at the summit, she made the whole damn mountain explode!"

"That's _horrible_!"

"Yeah, we laugh about it now, but she scared the _shit_ out of us back then! It was just a warning to get us off her back. We're immortals, but it still hurt like hell! I'm sure she could have done worse, you know, but it was an effective deterrent to show how pissed off she was at being followed all the time! No one has gone after her since!"

"In other words, you don't have a clue as to her whereabouts, do you?"

"I didn't say that, now did I? I've heard rumors about her being in the 'New World' now, but just rumors and hearsay, no actual sightings. After five thousand years, she's gotten really good at covering her tracks!"

"Do you have any informants over there?" Hermes shrugged.

"Yeah, but they cover mostly Hollywood gossip now. Some of the Muses have taken disguises and wanted to try their hand in the human's entertainment industry. They claim they haven't had so much fun in centuries! They're so _avant garde_! Crazy, I tell ya!"

"Do I know any of them?"

"Well, they go by their stage names now! There's Miley, and Lindsey, and Pinky, and some others . . . can't think of everyone. I've lost track!"

"How can you tell if they're immortals?"

"Their disguises are superficial, and they're pretty easy to spot. They're not trying to hide from us, not like Astarte. We all have an aura surrounding us that the humans can't see. Astarte has found a way to mask her's. We don't know what she's up to. It seems she just wants to be left alone, and we're good with that. If your daughter finds her, I hope she isn't opening a can of worms! By the way . . . why _is_ she looking for Astarte?"

Nyx just smiled. "You don't need to know anymore."

"Oh come on! You waltz in here, get me all curious, then you clam up? What's up with that?"

"My daughter's safety is at stake here. If I tell you too much, it could be jeopardized. I'm sorry!" Hermes sighed.

"Okay, I understand completely. I'll back off."

"Thanks, Herm. You're a sweetheart, no matter what anyone says about you!"

"Wait . . . what _do_ they say about me?" Nyx just smiled, and waved goodbye.

No sooner did she leave, when Hermes was on the intercom. _No way in hell am I gonna let this juicy little tidbit get by! There has to be some ulterior reason for trying to track down such dangerous game!_ "Diana, Apollo! Get up here quick! I have an assignment for you two!"

**Best Buds**

"So, my little lemon-drop, what do you think?" Mandy poked a finger under her chin, thoughtfully.

"It looks a bit too . . . 'Lara Croft'. We're going after a goddess, remember? Not some wrinkled, old mummy!"

"But these skin tight shorts look good on me, and shows off my immortal assets!"

"Your immortal 'assets' could use a little slimming down!" Mandy snickered.

"I _need_ a decent disguise, and this one was cute!"

"You _need_ to be less noticeable!"

"How about a scruffy, Indiana Jones look, then?"

"You should do something about your hair color, too."

"My _trademark_ golden hair?" she moaned, "It links me to my golden apples! Besides, it makes us look like we're sister!" Mandy smirked.

"Well, 'sis', how come I didn't inherit a part of your bra size?"

"'Bra'? You know I don't wear any of those human contraptions! Mine stay up naturally! Besides, don't you like 'em this way? All firm, yet so jiggly!" The teenager blushed.

"Er . . . _That's beside the point!_ You need to be less conspicuous, and perfect tits are bound to attract someone's attention!"

"Awww! But yours are perfect, too! You know what they say, 'More than a mouthful is a waste'!"

"But _I'm_ not the one she's going after if we get discovered!"

"Oh _puh-leaze_! You worry too much! We're just going to talk to her, and see if she'll remove Grim's curse! Where's the danger in _that_?"

"Your mom seemed to imply there's some bad blood between her and Astarte, and _you_ would be caught in the middle of that!"

"I know kung-fu!"

". . . And I'm just a puny mortal! Look, I-I can't help you if you get in a bind, Eris . . . the best I can do is try to help keep you out of trouble. I _don't_ want to see you get _hurt_!"

Mandy's concern brought a smile to the Goddess' face, and she ceased her inherent silliness, if just for the moment. She took the young girl into her arms, and held her affectionately.

"I remember when you broke up with your first boyfriend, how you turned his big, fat, nose inside-out, then stuffed him into one nostril! It was the funniest thing I had ever seen! But there you were, crying your eyes out, even as you kicked him over the cliff at look-out point! I sat you down and told you how impressed I was. I started telling you some of my own experiences, and you began to laugh."

"Yeah, it was like some revelation knocked me over the head, and set me free!"

"We became best buds that day, and I told you to get up, and get back in the ring again. You did just that, and I actually felt proud of myself for encouraging you. You become my moral compass when I need it, . . ."

". . . and you'll cheer me up if I get too down on myself!"

"We're actually very good for each other!"

"Yeah, so you better concentrate on your disguise, 'kay?" Eris sighed.

"Yes, my little whip-cracker!"

"How's Grim doing, by the way?"

"I set up a tent on my barge where he can stay for the duration, and Thud is keeping an eye on him!"

**On the barge . . .**

** Thud: **"How may Thud provide you with excellent service?"

**Grim:** "Oh shut up!

**End Chapter 3**

**A/N: The "Old Man" Hermes is referring to is Zeus. As Nyx is one of the original creation gods, she would carry considerably more clout than him, thus he was sort of cowed by her, despite of his reputation as the "King of the Gods."**

**Astarte, on the other hand, comes from a different mythology, and like Nyx, is also one of their creation gods.**

**Hermes is describing the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius in 79 A.D. Prior to that, the volcano was known as Monte Somma, and we all know what happened to Pompeii and Herculaneum, don't we!**

**Apollo and Diana (Artemis in Greek mythology), are twin brother and sister. Their role here are as reporters under Hermes. Diana, being Goddess of the Hunt in mythology, is good at following a story. Apollo, coincidentally, is the leader of the Muses (Hmm. Maybe I can use this!).**

**Mandy's first boyfriend sounds familiar, doesn't he!**


End file.
